Kate Middleton’s Uncle Gary Goldsmith: She’ll Be a “Brilliant Mum”

Prince William (L) departs the King Edward VII hospital with his wife Catherine Duchess of Cambridge (R) in central London, Britain, 06 December 2012. The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby, St James's Palace in London announced on 03 December 2012. EPA/FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA /LANDOV

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Appearances can be deceiving, but Kate Middleton is the real deal — at least according to her uncle Gary Goldsmith. He says the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge is just as sweet, smart, and smitten with Prince William as she seems in public.

"She is so kind-hearted — a beautiful girl inside and out," IT recruitment millionaire Goldsmith tells Hello! magazine of his famous niece in a new, 16-page interview. "I think that is the Kate people are seeing and the Kate I know. She is this confident, clever, caring girl who has taken her responsibilities in marriage and job incredibly seriously. I think everyone thinks she's sincere, in love, and doing her job to the best of her ability."

"She is incredibly grounded," he adds. "Kate's going to make a brilliant mum…You couldn't want for a better kid, and that's going to shine through with her as a parent."

Goldsmith, the younger brother of Middleton's mom, Carole, also has kind words for his niece's husband, the Duke of Cambridge. Recalling the first time he met Prince William at a family supper — a thank-you dinner of sorts after Goldsmith let the royal couple stay at his lavish Ibiza mansion, La Maison de Bang Bang, in 2006 — the Duchess' uncle says he knew he was seeing something special.

"When I saw them together, you actually thought, even if he wasn't going to be the King, they would make a great couple," he tells Hello! "They were very, very good together."

"[William] was so relaxed in his own skin, but he does try very hard to be a real gentleman. He leaves a massive impact on you. He was incredibly charming and engaging," Goldsmith raves, noting that the Prince was "very attentive" to Middleton and seemed "very much at home in the whole family setup."

Indeed, a source tells Us Weekly that Middleton, 31, and her husband, 30, are happily prepping for the July birth of their little bundle of joy, even as the first-time father-to-be keeps up with his grueling 24-hour shifts as a search-and-rescue pilot. "They make it work as best they can," the insider says.

For much more on the royal couple's countdown to baby — including what names they're thinking of for the tyke — pick up the new issue of Us Weekly, on stands now!